Access openings in warehouse, manufacturing and industrial settings are often secured by overhead (vertically traveling) closures.
Rolling steel doors, also referred to as overhead coiling closures, are metal slatted doors which move in a generally vertical path coiling above the opening as the door is opened. Because rolling steel doors have many fewer parts than sectional doors with less risk for damage and inoperability they often make a better solution for facilities that cannot afford opening downtime.
An overhead coiling closure is either provided with a powered operator to power the door to an open or closed position or it is manually opened and closed with, for example, a looped chain or crank. A shaft is horizontally mounted above the access opening to wind or unwind the coiling closure while the door sides are maintained within tracks mounted to the building structure on either side of the access opening. The coiling shaft and operator (if present) are usually covered and protected by a hood.
When doors are installed in high traffic areas, for example, shipping and receiving areas, the door can be damaged if struck by, for example, a fork lift transporting cargo. This damage can be caused not only by the forklift itself but also by the cargo being trucked by the lift. If the door becomes damaged the coiling closure may become non-operational with resultant access opening downtime.
Accordingly, there is still a continuing need for improved door protection designs. The present invention fulfills this need and further provides related advantages.